Original Text:
So this bad blood between us and the Swedes,
this vicious feud, I am convinced,
is bound to revive; they will cross our borders
and attack in force when they find out
that Beowulf is dead. In days gone by
when our warriors fell and we were undefended
he kept our coffers and our kingdom safe.
He worked for the people, but as well as that
he behaved like a hero.
We must hurry now
to take a last look at the king
and launch him, lord and lavisher of rings,
on the funeral road. His royal pyre
will melt no small amount of gold:
heaped there in hoard, it was bought at heavy cost,
and that pile of rings he paid for at the end
with his own life will go up with the flame,
be furled in fire: treasure no follower
will wear in his memory, nor lovely woman
link and attach as a torque around her neck-
but often, repeatedly, in the path of exile
they shall walk bereft, bowed under woe,
now that their leader's laugh is silenced,
high spirits quenched. Many a spear
dawn-cold to the touch will be taken down
and waved on high; the swept harp
won't waken warriors, but the raven winging
darkly over the doomed will have news,
tidings for the eagle of how he hoked and ate,
how the wolf and he made short work of the dead."
Such was the drift of the dire report
that gallant man delivered. He got little wrong
in what he told and predicted.
The whole troop
rose in tears, then took their way
to the uncanny scene under Earnaness.
There, on the sand, where is soul had left him,
they found him at rest, their ring-giver
from days gone by. The great man
had breathed his last. Beowulf the king
had indeed met with a marvelous death.
Paraphrase:
Paraphrase:
the bad relationship between the swedes and us,
the cruel conflict, I think
will arouse; Swedes will cross our borders
attack when they find out
that Beowulf is dead. When he was alive
when our warriors were vulnerable
he protected our goods and kept the kingdom safe.
He worked for our people, and also
behaved like a hero.
We must hurry now
to take a last look at the king
and let him go, the lord and distributor of rings,
on the funeral road. His royal pyre
will melt with tremendous amount of gold:
stacked, golds that were bought at heavy cost,
the treasure he earned sacrificing himself
will at last go up with his soul with the flame,
be caught in fire: no treasures
will be worn by the followers, nor lovely woman
wear the torque around her neck
but often, repeatedly, when the king has passed away
they should walk unsteadily, bowed under sorrow,
now that the leader's laugh is gone,
high spirits silenced. Many spears
will be taken down when the winter comes
and unused; the harp
won't wake the warriors, but the black travelers
darkly over the death will have news,
how the eagles snatched and ate,
how the wolf had met his death."
This was a serious report
that the brave man delivered. He was a little wrong
which he had told and assumed.
The entire troop
were crying, and made their way
to the strange scene under Earnaness.
on the sand, where his soul had left,
the king was at rest, their distributor of rings
in the past. The great man
had his last breath. Beowulf the king
indeed has passed away in grace.
line 2999-3037
Original Text:
So this bad blood between us and the Swedes,
this vicious feud, I am convinced,
is bound to revive; they will cross our borders
and attack in force when they find out
that Beowulf is dead. In days gone by
when our warriors fell and we were undefended
he kept our coffers and our kingdom safe.
He worked for the people, but as well as that
he behaved like a hero.
We must hurry now
to take a last look at the king
and launch him, lord and lavisher of rings,
on the funeral road. His royal pyre
will melt no small amount of gold:
heaped there in hoard, it was bought at heavy cost,
and that pile of rings he paid for at the end
with his own life will go up with the flame,
be furled in fire: treasure no follower
will wear in his memory, nor lovely woman
link and attach as a torque around her neck-
but often, repeatedly, in the path of exile
they shall walk bereft, bowed under woe,
now that their leader's laugh is silenced,
high spirits quenched. Many a spear
dawn-cold to the touch will be taken down
and waved on high; the swept harp
won't waken warriors, but the raven winging
darkly over the doomed will have news,
tidings for the eagle of how he hoked and ate,
how the wolf and he made short work of the dead."
Such was the drift of the dire report
that gallant man delivered. He got little wrong
in what he told and predicted.
The whole troop
rose in tears, then took their way
to the uncanny scene under Earnaness.
There, on the sand, where is soul had left him,
they found him at rest, their ring-giver
from days gone by. The great man
had breathed his last. Beowulf the king
had indeed met with a marvelous death.
Paraphrase:
Paraphrase:
the bad relationship between the swedes and us,
the cruel conflict, I think
will arouse; Swedes will cross our borders
attack when they find out
that Beowulf is dead. When he was alive
when our warriors were vulnerable
he protected our goods and kept the kingdom safe.
He worked for our people, and also
behaved like a hero.
We must hurry now
to take a last look at the king
and let him go, the lord and distributor of rings,
on the funeral road. His royal pyre
will melt with tremendous amount of gold:
stacked, golds that were bought at heavy cost,
the treasure he earned sacrificing himself
will at last go up with his soul with the flame,
be caught in fire: no treasures
will be worn by the followers, nor lovely woman
wear the torque around her neck
but often, repeatedly, when the king has passed away
they should walk unsteadily, bowed under sorrow,
now that the leader's laugh is gone,
high spirits silenced. Many spears
will be taken down when the winter comes
and unused; the harp
won't wake the warriors, but the black travelers
darkly over the death will have news,
how the eagles snatched and ate,
how the wolf had met his death."
This was a serious report
that the brave man delivered. He was a little wrong
which he had told and assumed.
The entire troop
were crying, and made their way
to the strange scene under Earnaness.
on the sand, where his soul had left,
the king was at rest, their distributor of rings
in the past. The great man
had his last breath. Beowulf the king
indeed has passed away in grace.